Typewriting machine



Lsozgz Oct. 12,1926;

f c. M. cREws TYPEWRITING MACHINE n 'Filed sept. 27, 1924 /m/enfo:

MQ/MW Patented Oct. 1926.

f /UNITED STATES PATENT oi-*F'Ici-z.v

CREWS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDEBWOOD TYPE- v WBI'IIEIB COMPANY, OFN'EW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

. TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led September 27, 1924. Serial No. 740,172.

This invention relates to means for quickly feeding work-sheets' into a typewritlng machinefrom lthe frontk of the platen.

' In banks and other business houses records of periodic payments. are frequently .kept upon 'record cards whichhave metallic or other filing tabs projecting from. their upper margins. For this class of.work,'. which is cited merely as an example, it is extremelyA desirable to provide means whereby the workv can be. quickly located in writing position by feeding. it into the machine .bottom end first at the front of the platen.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made of a work-feeder comprising a funnel mouthed gripper ,extending f across the front of the platen above theline of writing. This gripper is arranged to be rotated independently of the platen, in an 2 anti-line-feed direction, when a work-sheet or'pack ofsheets has been placed in it, to

draw the work down around the platen.

Provision'. is made of means for sweeping the gripper always through a uniform range of one complete revolution, -so that at one continuous movement the grippercarries vthe work into 'the machine and. returns to .its

initial normal position without retrogradeA movement. The work is released by the gripper after it has been' fedinto the machine and may then be fed by the platen to anydesired writing position, the further control of the work'being altogether inde# pendent of the feeder, which remains stationary until al succeeding sheet is placed in it for insertion in the machine. The gripper-operatingmeans is constructed to return to initial position, when released, wlthout moving the gripper.

inafter appear. v

In the accompanyingdraw-mgs Figur Other `features and advantages will heree l is a' fragmentary frov t elevation,- showmg the present invention applied' tothe.

Figure 4 isa view similar to Figures 2 and 3, showing the parts in normal positions, and the work-sheet in writing position. The figure also shows in dot-and-dash lines the position to which the work-sheet was inserted by the gripper before being adjusted to writing position by the platen and the feed-rolls. Figure 5 is..y a 'transverse 'vertical lsection, showing details ofthe gripper-driving mechamsm. v

In` the typewriting machine types 10 strike upwardly and rearwardly` through a ribbon 11 against the face of a cylindrical platen 12 ]`ournaled by its axle 13 in -the ends 14 f of a platen-frame 15.. Feed-rolls 1.6 co-oper ate with the lower face of the platen 12 lthrough openings 17 in a paper-apron 18 that 'forms a lower extension of. a rear papers table 19, and that snugly embraces the platen.

The feed-rolls 16 may be cast off by means usually provided for the shown'herein.

The novel sheet-feeder consists of an arcuate strip 20 of thin spring metal which extends across the platen in close proximity to it, but inposition to-move freely relatively to the platen. This arcuateI strip 20 forms the rinner wall of a work-receiving gripper or pocket and is folded back sharply at its forward end to form the front wall 21 of said pocket. This forward wall y21 of the pocket flares outwardly from the main body ofthe arcuate strip tov form a fluted mouth for the reception of the work.- The wall-21 purpose, but not is very thin and flexible, sothat a work-.sheet 22v can spring it outward slightly and can therefore be veasily inserted in the pocket.

Thewall 21 can also be pressed inward toward the platen by any 'parts with which it comes in contact to gri avoidlfouling upon suc parts. The strip 20 hasfflan'ges22a atfift's ends'wherebyit '1s secured to segments 23 and 24 rotatably mounted `upon the platen-axle 13 just beyond -the ends of the'platen 12. A handle 25 mounted upon a stub-shaft 26, carried by the platen-axle 13. This pinion 29 is fast to a ratchet 30 vwhich is effective through vaA Adrive the segment 24,.-and hence the work.

feeder, in a 'c1ockwse d1rection, as seen in the work and tol y a bracket 27 on the platen-frame 1 5, ldrivesl g -a gear 28 in mesh with a pinion 29 loose'on Figure2, when the handle is thrust to the rear. The parts normally occupy the positions shown in Figure 2, with the gear 28 held against a rear stop- 33 on the bracket 27 by a spring 34, and with the feeder de-v tained in the position shown by a springdetent 35 on the bracket 27 that engages a pin 36 on the segment 24.

When .it is desired to insert a work-sheet 22 into the machine from the front, the sheet is placed with its lower edge in the pocket of the feeder, and the handle 25 is moved to the rear until arrested by engagement of the gear 28 with a fixed stop 37 on the bracket 27. This carries the feeder-gripper through a complete revolution, restoring the gripper to the position shown in Figure 2.. The handle 25 is then released and is restored to its original position by the spring 34, the pinion 29 and ratchet'3'0 being rotated meanwhile by the gear 28, but not in a direction to drive the feeder, which remains stationary.,

As the feeder 1s moved around the platen in *the act of inserting a work-sheet, there -is' a liability that itywill foul the ribbon ll.

Provision is accordingly made of a wire guide 38, mounted on the usual type-segment 39, which stands between the ribbon 1l vandthe platen`12 to guard the ribbon. This guide 38 serves the further function of pressing thel wall 21 of the gripper toward the platen and thereby increasing the grip upon the paperin the first part ofthe inserting operation. The lower edge 40 of the gripper is perfectly straight and quit thin, and hugs .the kplaten closely. It has no diiiculty therefore in wedging its Waybeneath the iiared forward edge of the paper-apron or beneath the feed-rolls, if

they are not cast ofl'. The paper-apron flm the bight formed by presses the wall of -the gripper toward the platen to increase its grip upon the paper, and this rm grip is maintained until the gripper has reached the position shown in igure 3. At this point the gripper emerges the rear papertable and the platen, releasing the sheet. At

.the same -timeithe trailing edge 4:1 of thel gripper passes to the rear of the front feedrolls 16, permittingth'e rolls to coact-with the platen to griptheinserted. sheet 22 and 'hold it-stationary. The sheetis therefore `held in th'e dot-and-dash position 22 of Figure 4, while the gripper travels fromr the position of igure 3 to that of Figure 4. Y Whenthe grlpperv finally reaches the posi- 'x'tion of Figure 4, the handle is arrested, an d at the same time the detent and projection` come into co-operative relation to hold the gripper stationary. The platen is then. rotated by one of the knobs A42 to adjust the inserted sheet 22 tov writing position.

It will be noted that the feeder may be' used with the feed-rolls 16 either effective or ineffective. In order that the sheet may I be correctly'positioned'when placed in thegripper, so that casting oll of the vfeed-rolls subsequently to ythe insertion of the sheet may be obviated, provision is made of a vletter-space scale on the front face of the This is 'especially wall 2l of the feeder. advantageous for the reason'that work of the character forwhich the feeder is designed is frequently done upon bookkeeping machines, so 'that it is. of the utmost importance that the columns on the sheet register correctly with the computing columns of the computing mechanism at every insertion. 4 The feeder may be used to advantage for Work of any class requiring insertion from the front of the. platen, such, for example,l

as work-sheets held together in a pack by means of a clip at their upper margins.

Variations .may be resorted to within the scope of the invention,'and portions of the the platen, means independent of thel platen to operate the gripper to draw the grippedv sheet backward around the platen into vthe machine, andmeans to hold the gripper stationary and'out of the way duringadjustlmont and feedin the platen.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with `a cylindrical platen, .of a feeder "lo comprising a relatively stiff inner wall adjacent the platen and a resilient flaring outg of the inserted sheet by er wall, the two `wal1s lforming a wide .I .mouthed pocket for the reception of Worksheets, means for rotating the feeder in an anti-line-'feed direction to draw work into the machine from the fronty of the platen, and a guardy to prevent-fouling of the ribbon by the feeder, the guard being arranged also to press the outer wall of the lfeeder into firm gripping relation to the work.

4. Ina typewriting machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a feeder comprising a relatively stiff inner wall adjacent the platen' and a resilient fia-ring outer wall, the two Walls forming a wide mouthed pocket for the'reception of work-sheets, and.

means. for rotating the feeder in an anti-'linefeed direction to dra-w work into the machine from the front of the platen, and a paperapron conforming tothe lower side of the v`platen, the paper-apron having its lforward.

comprising a gripper,

nation with a cylindrical platen,

ycausemthe gripper to be carried edge flared outward to enable the feeder to wedge itself between the apron and the platen in inserting work in the machine.

5. In a typewriting machine,the combination with .a cylindrical platen, of 'a feeder comprising a gripper, and means forrotating the gripper through a complete revolution in .an anti-line-feed direction to draw work into the machine, means being arranged to be returned to normal position while permitting the gripper to remain stationary.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, of 'a' feeder tating the gripper through a complete revolution in an anti-line-feed direction to draw work into the machine, a spring to return the gripper-rotating means to initial position, and a detent'to hold the gripper stationary during the return of the gripper-rotating meansy to initial position.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combiof a feeder comprising a gripper,fa sweep-gear having a `one-way driving connection with ithegrpper for driving it in anti-line-feed direction to feed work into the machine from'vthe front ofthe platen, means for mechanically and means for rothe gripper-rotating,

nation witha platen, front feed-rolls cooperating therewith, and a paper-apron conformin thereto, of a sheet-feeder rotatable about t e platen. in an anti-.line-feed direction to insert work-sheets in the machine fronti the front of the platen, the feeder comprising a gripper having -aA long relatively stif arcuate inner wall and a thin resilient flaring outer Wall arran ed to be pressed toward the inner wall by t e paper-A apron tov grip the work securely,/the inner limiting` the stroke of the sweep-gear to` through a complete revolution to its initial position at each full actuation of the gear, and' means for. returning the"gear to initial position while the gripper remains idle.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen and feedrolls co-operating therewith, of a sheetfeeder operable relatively to the platen to draw a work-sheet into the machine from the front of the platen, said feeder comprising a gripper aving a flaring resilient outer wall, the outer wall bearing a letter- 'space scale to enable the operator to posisheet correctly in the gripper betion the fore inserting it in the machine.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combiwall being long enough to hold. the front feed-rolls off the platen until the outer Wall of the gripper has emerged from the bight formed. by the platen and the paper-apron,

and then to pass beyond the front feedrolls to permit them to coact with the platen to hold the inserted sheets stationary and,

withdraw them from the gripper.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, ofa feeder for draw- 111g front of the platen comprising a gripper including a flaring resilicntouter wall normally arranged to grip the work with light the outer wall of I pressure, means to engage.`

the gripper as it is rotated to press it into firm' gripping engagpment with the work,

vmean for engaging `the outwardly-dared portion of the outer wall to press it lclosely against the inner Wall and thereby increase the grip of the gripping portion upon the work.-

CLARENCE M. CREWS.

work-sheets into tliemachine from the having a relatively stijf 

